Behind the Veil
by Tori No Baka
Summary: A grief stricken, and rather drunk, Remus Lupin bumps into a hag who seems to know the secrets behind the veil into which Sirius fell. However, when they come back, there's a twist! Warnings: Slash :D RLSB, of course XD Ch.3 is up! :D
1. Fire Whiskey

A/n: PADFOOT LIIIIVES! ... cough Hm, yes, well... I'm gonna update this story as often as I can, but, as I havn't written a fic in about forever, my muse is still a bit rusty. Ok, this one takes place the summer after The Order of the Pheonix, and is slightly angsty the first chapter. Well, I suppose this is as long as I can make the A/n... On to the story!

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Fire Whiskey

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The only light in the common room came from a few candles that sat on several tables, their wax dripping unheeded. The sun was shining brightly outside, but the windows were so dirty that it seemed like dusk in The Hog's Head. Sitting around the bar were several shady looking characters, and littered through out the tables were even shadier characters. Every one of them twitched when the door opened, looking away until it was closed, casting the room into semi-darkness again. The bar tender looked up, squinting his eyes in an annoyed fashion towards the man who entered.

The man slumped over to a table on which a lone candle threw his features into stark contrast. His grey streaked hair hung limply into his shallow eyes, around which dark circles clung. His clothing was patched in many places, and torn in many others, his face haggard, with scratches on it, as if he'd just run blindly through the forest. Several of the people in the room looked at their watches, as if checking the time, but if one were to inspect their watches closely they would notice that, instead of numbers, the face held the phases of the moon. As it was just the day after the full moon, many of the bar patrons quickly turned from the werewolf.

An indifferent waitress waltzed over to his table, a dusty pad and pen in her hand. Reaching his table, she clicked her long, blood red nails agains the tabletop in a bored, impatient way. "What can I get for yeh?"

"Bottle of fire whiskey." The man's voice was hoarse, as he had probably been screaming all night while transforming to and from the werewolf shape. The waitress stalked away, then back again in a few moments, a bottle of some smokeing liquid and a dirty cup in her hands. The man handed over a handfull of coins, then poured himself a drink. Downing his first glass, the man's eyes went glassy, as if he were lost in memory..

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Remus Lupin was a respectable man, for all that he was a werewolf. Still, his friends would defend him to the death, as he would them. Remus and two of those said friends sat around a table, by which a fire happily crackled in the hearth, casting a merry glow across the room. Wreaths hung from the walls, and in the other room one could see a Christmas tree where real faeries danced instead of electrical lights.

"What?" Asked the much younger, healiter looking Lupin asked, an excited light in his eyes. "Lilly, you're pregnant!" Leaping to his feet, the man shook the hands of a very excited looking couple before him. The woman had startilingly green eyes, and flowing, red hair. The man, on the other hand, had dark, untidy hair, and glasses that slid down the bridge of his nose when Lupin excitedly shook his hand.

"The baby's due some time in July, the doctors said." Explained the man, his hand now entwined with that of the woman.

"Do the others know? Sirius and Peter?" Asked Remus, taking a drink of his mug, which held a different kind of steaming liquid than fire whiskey.

Lilly shook her head, glancing at her husband, who fidgeted slightly. Remus cocked an eyebrow, but didn't ask. 'It must be one of those 'married' things,' decided the werewolf, with a slight, mental sigh.

"We havn't heard from Sirius in a few days, which is strange. He's usually over here eating all our food." Lilly commented with a laugh. James, on the other hand, continued to look uncomfortable, to the point of where he stood up, reaching for every one's glasses.

"I'll just go refill these..." James said, stalking off to the kitchen and letting the door swing closed behind him. He made quite a show of tinkling the mugs, finding that tea had cooled to much, that he should probably make more, for Remus to make himself at home.

Lilly sighed, shaking her head. It seemed as if they'd talked about this before, and James was less than OK with the upcomming discusion Lilly was going to have with Remus. "Lets go outside. I could use a breath of fresh air." And Remus thought he heard her mutter something like 'And I think James could, too.', but he couldn't be sure. Following the woman outside, Remus was too far gone in his thoughts to remember to grab his cloak. Thankfully, however, Lilly seemed to be a mind reader, and grabbed it for him

Once out on the porch, the woman didn't make any atempt to stall, but got right on with what he knew was bothering James. "Look, Remus, don't mind James, he accepts you, and the lifestile you've chosen, its just going to take a while for him to get used to it. You know James, he doesn't like change." Lilly said, but it was clear that she had something else on her mind as well, something she was still fidgeting over.

"But you see, Lilly, that's just it. I didn't choose, it just sorta happened. For as long as I can remember, I've been like this." Remus explained, glad for the faint outside light that hid the sour expression on his face. It didn't seem fair for him to be so different.

"I'm sorry, Remus." Said the woman, looking at him with raised eyebrows and a stern expression on her face. "But you know, you can't go and all depressed because of the way James is acting. He accepted you when he found out you were a werewolf, and he'll accept you now. I guess homosexuality is just scarier to him than lacanthropy." She laughed, and the man joined her, rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manor.

"Yes, Mother." He teased her lightly. It seemed that Lilly was forever trying to take care of everyone. He fidgeted with the snow on the railings of the porch."Speaking of mothers-"

"Ah-ah-ah! Don't you go changing the subject on me. I had something else I wanted to discuss with you." Lilly said, eyebrows raised again, arms crossed over her stomach that hadn't even began to show yet.

Remus sighed. He knew that he wasn't going to get out of it so easily. So, instead of speaking, for he knew he'd just blurt everything out, he surveyed her with alert brown eyes.

Grinning, the woman leaned back against a support beam. "Now, don't snap at me if you think I'm being nosy, but when are you going to tell Sirius." Remus opened his mouth to say something, but Lilly held out her hand. "No, I don't mean that. I know you already told him that you're gay, but when are you going to tell him the other thing? Its plain to anyone with eyes, except maybe those boys you call friends, that you have feelings for Sirius. You really should tell him though, Remus. You might be suprised with how he reacts."

The werewolf glared at his friend. Lilly's green eyes seemed to be able to see right into someone's soul. "I don't know how you knew, Lilly, but please don't tell him?"

"Oh, I won't. I might make you tell him, but I won't. That's something for you to do." The woman said, her voice soft.

With a sigh, Remus rubbed a large hand over his eyes. "I don't know, Lilly. I... I can't seem to find the right time. Things keep coming up, or we're with friends. I can't get him alone, and its not something you tell around a big group of people."

"Remus, you're not trying hard enough. I know its a scary thing to do, beleive me, I've told guys my feelings about them before, but you have to do it. You'll never know if he returns your feelings or not."

"But this isn't some childhood crush, Lilly. This is full blown love. I've loved him for as long as I can remember, before even I realised I was gay." The werewolf said, angrily pacing back and forth across the porch.

"Please try Remus. You never get anywhere with just sitting and wishing." Lilly pleaded, trying to talk him into it. She wasn't the only one who knew her friend was gay, but she -was- the only one who knew about Sirius. A few months ago, Sirius, in a half drunk explosion of revilation, came to see Lilly in the middle of the day, while she was headed to the market. She took a break, and took her friend out to dinner. There, he explained that he'd realised that he was bisexual, and that he'd been in love with Remus for as long as he could remember, he just didn't know it yet.

Now, Lilly promised both she wouldn't tell, and stuck by her word. All she could do was push the two with all her might, push them into telling. It was hard, and it might take her a while

"Alright Lilly, I'll try..."

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Lupin shook his head, coming out of the reverie and taking another swig of the smokey beverage directly out of the bottle. He'd drained his cup while lost in thought. He was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol, but poured himself another glass anyway. He'd had a rough night, rougher than many he'd remembered. Maybe because just a couple weeks ago he'd seen his best friend and secret love die. Maybe because he was truely alone as he ran through the forest, howling his defiance to the moon. Or maybe luck was just agianst him. Either way, it was a hard night, and he wanted to forget. He wanted to forget everything.

However, his mind didn't always listen...

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Remus Lupin didn't have alot of money, and what he did have, he saved. He saved it for special occasions, and he considered this late march night to be very special indeed. After much prodding from Lilly, he'd finally decided to tell Sirius about how he felt. So, with the woman's help, he through together a gormet dinner to be served at James and Lilly's house. Everyone was there, and Lilly, now very pregnant, was not the only one there who was giving Remus her support. James, over his earlier homophobia, was now rooting his friend on.

They disguised the dinner as a small celebration for a recent small victory over Voldemort. They were going to get together and drink to their foe's confusion.

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"...only he didn't know that ol' Padfoot was really our Sirius!" James said, finnishing his story on how Sirius, as Padfoot, had taken down one of their foes.

"Poor man..." Remus said, a smirk on his lips belieing the words. "I don't see how you brought yourself to do that, Sirius." Remus said, his smirk turning to a grin, as he placed his hand on his friend's arm. All night long, he'd kept up at these little friendly touches, to see how Sirius would react. And all night long, he responded positively to them.

"I don't see how all his equipment will work after that!" Peter said, fidgeting with his fork. He seemed to have cought some of Remus, Lilly, and James's nervousness, and was twittering all night long.

James shot Peter a look that clearly said 'Watch your language around my wife!', but Sirius just laughed, rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manor, a faint pink tint to his cheeks.

Dinner was finnished and Lilly cleared her throat, glanceing at Remus. He sighed, then began to fidget, knowing what she was trying to tell him. "Oh my, I think the candles are making me slightly light headed. I could use a breath of air," The woman said, looking rather pointedly at James, who coughed, halfway through a gulp of wine.

Coughing again, James sat his goblet down, "Oh, yes dear. Would you like help with the potatoes?" Asked the oblivious man, a blank smile on his face. Lilly giggled and shook her head.

"Yes James, please help me with the potatoes."

"But, the potatoes are right here..." Peter said, confusion evident on his face.

Hands on her hips, Lilly raised her eyebrows at him. "The -other- potatoes, Peter. Would you help me as well?"

Peter seemed torn between helping for the prospect of more food, and actual physical work. Evidently, though, he decided he'd have to see just what these other potatoes were, and so scampered off to the kitchen after Lilly and James. Remus heard a heated discussion seconds later, then the back door closing. He and Sirius were alone.

The werewolf glaced over at the object of his thoughts and couldn't help but grin. The man was looking around with a smile on his face, which seemed a little pale. Frowning in concern, he lay a hand on the other's arm, to catch his attention. However, when their eyes met, he completely forgot what he was about to ask. He cleared his throat, with the 'now or never' thought in his mind, and barreled on.

"There's something I need to tell you." Both of them said at the same time, then laughed.

"You first!" Sirius, always the quick one, said. With a sigh, the werewolf sat back in his chair, only then realizing that his hand was still covering Sirius's arm. Removing that to fiddle with his fork, he cleared his throat.

"Well... I've been meaning to tell you this for a long time now. You see, the thing is, I think I lo-" He was cut off though as James burst into the room, eyes wide with horror, panting.

"Come quick! They've found the death mark over The Abernathy's." The breathless man said, then barreled out of the room again.

The two looked at each other in horror. The Abernathy's (Yes, I made them up XD) were a happily newly wed couple who worked at the Ministry. And they lived close, only about a mile away from here. The two grabbed their wands and followed James at the run...

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'And after that, of course, the opportunty never came again, because the Death Eaters kept us busy...' Thought the man with a sour expression on his face. He was now feeling the full effects of the alcohol. He stood up and stumbled from the tavern, greif gripping his heart. He didn't know where he was going, where he was going to end up.

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A/n: Well, waddya think? The next chapter will be coming soon, I promise. I'm gonna start it right now. That chapter has a bit more angst, but we finally get to what little plot this story has. Sorry there wasn't any humor in his chapter ;-; But we'll get to it, I promise!

Review, please:D


	2. The Veil

A/n: W00t w00t w00t:D Chapter number two! Starting it the night after I put up chapter one. Sorry, there wasn't any funny in the first chapter ;-; I promise, though, by the end of this chapter, we'll have some good funny :D Either that, or the beginning of the next.

But, I bet you're wondering, where's the love?

C'mon people! This is only chapter two! XD It'll be here... I predict, by chapter four. So yes. Hm... To the fic? Yes, to the fic. Review responses at the end:D

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The Veil

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Remus stumbled down the street, his vision clouded over with fire whiskey and greif. He didn't realize when his surroundings darkended, dispite the cloudless afternoon sky. Didn't realize that he was how halfway through a street that could have been Knocturn Alley's twin. Didn't realize that people were surrounding him, their eyes shining with greed as their fingers flexed. They had seen drunk men stumble down here before. And no one ever saw them leave.

Remus Lupin only came back to reality when he bumped into an old, bent woman. He blinked, his eyes regaining some focus, as he studied her face. It was pitted by scars and bumps and a horrendously large nose. A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth, and the creatures closing in on him heard him mutter something about a Severus.

The hag looked up at him, narrowing her eyes, about to curse him into oblivioun for bumbing into her, before she recognised something on his face. She cackled up at him, griping his sleve in a vice like hold, and glared his pursuers away. She shook a fist at them for good measure, and they dispersed, grumbling, as the hag pulled the werewolf into the building behind her.

As the light changed once again, Luipin looked up and around, blinking. It was quite dark in here, the dank, dirty room lit only by a large wooden box that sat before a cough. The hag dragged the oblivious man to the couch and plopped him down on it, so that he got a good look at the front of the box. It appeared to be an old fashioned muggle television, but, instead of pictures moving across the screen, it was covered by static. He blinked and narrowed his eyes... For a second there, he thought he'd seen someone's face. Shaking his head, he finally turned his attention over ot the hag, who'd sat down in a creaking old rocking chair next to the couch. Rocking back and forth, she surveyed him as well, with her unnerving, unblinking stare, until Remus blushed and turned away.

"So, Remus Lupin, the stars brought you here at last." She said, her voice as rough and creaky as the chair she sat in.

"How'd chu know my name?" Asked the man, scowling, his voice slurred.

"Ah, that won't do!" She said, getting up abruptly and bustling into the other part of the house. He could hear her tinkling something around, but other than that, he had no idea what was coming next. Had he been sober, he probably would've realized that he was deep within a hag's domain, and not many had survived to tell the tale. When she came back, she held an old, dusty goblet in one hand. Handing it to him, he looked up, confused. "Drink up boy, it won't kill you." She urged, sitting back down in her chair.

Shrugging, the werewolf took a large gulp, swallowing it even before he got a taste of the putrid stuff. If it was poison, he didn't care anymore. He felt a fuzzy tingling running down his spine as he coughed at the horrid taste of the drink. He was about to shreik a curse at the hag before his head suddenly cleared, and he felt better than he had in weeks. Relaxing once again, he finally took a good luck at this strangely helpful hag.

She wore a patched, old fashioned, floral printed dress with a black shawl draped across her shoulders. She clutched a cane in her bony, scarred left hand, and surveyed him through pale, grey eyes. The werewolf gulped and stared back at the woman, wondering why she brought him here.

Rocking back and forth in her chair, she surveyed him shrewdly. "Midge, is the name. And your's is Remus Lupin."

Scowling, the man cocked his head to the side in a rather canine fashion. "B-b.. How did you know my name?" Aksed the confused man.

"Because, I've been talking to someone who knows you quite well, Moony." Remus leaned back in suprise, scowling. How did she know his nickname? Did she know that he was also a werewolf? Before he could ask however, she was raising her cane in a menicing fashion. The man cringed slightly, still not sure of himself on his feet. The fire whiskey was strong and this hag's potion had not banished all of its effects.

But, instead of hitting him with her cane, she tapped the muggle teleivision like device. Turning his attention back to its snowy face, he was startled to see a shape start to appear. It looked to be a man, curled up into a fetal position in the corner of a grey room. The edges were still fuzzy and Lupin's heart skipped a beat.

He was stareing into the haunted eyes of Sirius Black.

"Sirius!" Remus yelled, as if he would be heard, and fell to his knees infront of the device. Slowly, carefully, he brought a hand up and traced a finger along Sirius's back. The man on the screen looked up, suprised, as if he accually felt the touch.

Midge laughed, still rocking back and forth. She wasn't suprised at all about how Remus reacted. "So, I see you like my Veil Viewer. I've been talking with that young man since he fell into my veil. I was quite suprised, of course, because no one had entered my little room since those blasted Ministry agents took my veil. But, they didn't know its secrets, and I wouldn't tell them. Neither did they know that they missed a few items."

Remus managed to tear his eyes away from the screen to look at Midge, horrified. The hag laughed again, and continued her tale. "Oh, don't get your shorts in a knot, Moony. As I said, I have been speaking with this young man, who is by far the most interesting individual who has ever had the misfortune to fall into my little room."

The man relaxed slightly, and regained his seat on the couch, albeit a tense one. He leaned forward, arms resting on his knees, as he listened to Midge and watched Sirius on the Veil Viewer. "I d-.. I don't understand." Remus admited, looking over at Midge for a breif second before turning his eyes back to his friend on the screen.

"And I didn't rightly expect you to. So, tell me, Remus Lupin, would you like to get your friend back?" Asked the hag, an eyebrow raised, head cocked to one side.

The man looked at her, dumbstruck. He never considered the possibility that he'd be able to get his friend back. Merely assumed him dead, and the situation beyond all hope. That line of thinking had been his curse his whole life. He looked at things straight on, not beating around the bush, and took things as they came. He'd always been that way, ever since the bite he'd suffered that turned him into a werewolf.

"Yes..." He whispered. "More than anything in the world, I would like to have Sirius back... But why? Why help me?" He asked, confused. There had only been a handfull of people in his entire life that would just help him for no reason, and every one else always shunned him. That made for a very cynical outlook, but Remus tried not to think like that.

Midge laughed, still rocking back and forth in that forever creaking chair of her's. "Because, I'll let you in on a little secret. I had a son, a lifetime ago. He was killed many many years ago, but not before he found out alot about himself. It didn't bother me any that he liked other men, and, with my encouragement, he went off to the muggle world and joined many organizations to promote the acceptance of this love. However, not everyone was as understanding as I. He was killed by a group of muggles, because my son was nerely a squib, couldn't defend himself. So, whenever I get the chance to promote this love, I do. I do it for him." She said, in a very matter of fact voice.

"But how did you know? How did you know I loved him?" Remus asked, incredulously.

Midge raised her eyebrows, remembering how Sirius had told her that the werewolf didn't know he loved him. She smiled, nodding, and, with a hint of mystery, said, "I have my ways. Now, as I said before, those Ministry meddlers missed a few items connected to the veil. That's why they couldn't understand how to get out, because they took the unfinnished version. So to speak, I have another door into the room in which your friend is trapped."

"Then why havn't you let him out yet? Why havn't you gone in to get him out?" He demanded, slamming his fists on his knees. She'd kept him in there! Toying with him!

Midge cackled at the werewolf's anger. "Oh, tut. Its not that easy. The crossing is hard, and I would surely perish. But you, Moony, might just be strong enough. The passage is very peaceful for the first few moments, then, it rips you of body, soul, and mind. If it judges you fit, you regain what you lost, and slip out the other side of the veil. It lasts for only a breath of mortal time, but feels like an eternity while you're in my little room. The first veil was a prototype, of sorts, an unfinnished design. Your Sirius fell into it, but couldn't fall out the other side, because there was no other side." She signed and shook her head, a worried expression on her mangled face.

"Except, to stay in the room long enough to fish out our dear Padfoot, and bring him back out with you, you must give up one of the three of your mind, body and soul. You and Sirius would both have to. So, Moony, which shall it be? Your mind, body, or soul?" Asked Midge, her face shrewd.

Remus looked away from the hag, back to the vision of the haunted Sirius Black. It was a cruel thing to have to deside. He couldn't live without a body, wouldn't love without a soul, and would be insane without a mind. And he had to choose for the both of them. It would be something he'd have to think about for years if he was given the chance, but he wasn't. Time was a factor. It didn't look like Sirius could survive many more hours in that lifeless grey room.

"I have a suggestion, if you'd like to hear it. You may like the outcome." Midge said, eyebrows raised, eyes closed.

Remus lept up, only to stumble and fall at the hag's feet. With a sigh, he sat back, rubbing his forehead and looking up at the cackling hag. Glareing, the man said, "Yes, please." Belatedly, he remembered what powers she possessed, and that this was the only way he could get Sirius back, and added, "Ma'am."

Nodding, Midge said, "That's better. Now, if you choose to give up your mind, you'll both be insane. If you choose to give up your soul, you'll both stop feeling. However, if you choose to give up your body, you do have something to fall back on. Padfoot is an animagus, as I remember, and you, Moony, are a werewolf. If you so choose this option, Sirius will take the form of a dog, and you a wolf, most likely puppies. And then, if you proove yourselves worthy, after a time, the powers that rule this room may choose to give you your bodies back. As this has never happened, I don't really know. Its the only alternitive." Finnishing her rather long speech, the hag leaned back, starting the infernal creaking again, as she rocked back and forth.

Lupin turned, so that he was stareing right at the form of Sirius Black, hunched and huddled in the dark, dank, grey room. Anything could be better than this. "Alright." Standing up a bit slower this time, the man made sure of the ground beneath his feet before turning to look at Midge once more. "Alright, I'll do it. Anything is better than the hell he's living in now, and I'd gladly give up all three, body, mind, and soul, to get him out of there. I can't let him suffer like that."

The woman nodded, and carefully stood up out of her chair. "Yes, alright, come with me." She hobbled towards a door that Remus was sure hadn't been there before, and opened it into a darkened hallway. Gulping, and taking one last look at the man he so loved on the screen, and followed Midge at a trot.

At the end of the darkened hallway was another door, into which Midge had already dissapeared. Upon entering it, the werewolf stepped back, eyes wide. Before him hung the an exact replica of the veil Sirius had fallen into. It seemed like a hundred years ago that his love's laughing, flushed face dissapeared, never to be seen again. 'Not if I can do anything about it,' Thought the man, clenching his fists.

"Alright," Remus jumped, Midge's crackly voice startling him out of his reverie, and stepped over to the bent, old hag. "Drink this potion, and into the veil with you. But, listen, while you're falling through the darkness, there is three seconds of bliss. Then, speak the spell 'Moror', and you shall stay in the grey room. There, Sirius will be waiting for you, you merely have to call out his name. After you have him, and make sure you have him, physicly hold on to him, and speak the spell 'Dimitto', and you shall leave. However, as you will loose your body and gain a new one, the leaving will be harder than the staying. Harder on you, because you havn't had time to rest in the grey room, no matter how bad a rest the grey room promotes. Are you ready?" The man jumped again at this quick question, his heart racing.

Everything was happening so fast! Was he really and truely ready to give up his body? Maybe forever? The image of Sirius's laughing face rose unbidden to his eyes. Blinking away tears, Remus squared his shoulders. "I'm ready."

Midge pressed a tankard of a sweet smelling potion into his hands. "For strength." She said. "And remember, Moror when the pain starts, and Dimitto when you have Sirius." Lupin nodded, gulping down the overly sweet potion. Once he'd drained the tankard, Midge led him over to the veil. Patting his back, she said, "Good luck." And pushed him in before doubt would make him stop.

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A/n: Well, there's chapter two. I know, still no funny or lovey stuff, but its coming next chapter. I was gonna try and put it into the end of this one, but I couldn't. I'mma start on the next chapter right now, though :D

And now, review responses!

Cthulhu (Better known as mai bestest buddy Nina): Nina-kan:D glomps Thank you for reviewing -;; And I'm not that used to writing angst, so your support is very valued :D

Tattva: Squee Thank you! - Here's your update :D

Yes, since there was only two reivews, that's it ;-; Oh well.

Review, please!


	3. Into The Veil

A/n: Sorry for the long wait, folks. Had to read OotP again, just to get my bearings straight, and after that, I was tempted wails I had to read HBP as well XD;; Sorry. Oh well, Back to writing again:D

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Behind the Veil

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It was like falling through a dream, feather soft clouds floating all around Remus Lupin.

But it lasted for only a breath.

The pink, fluffy cloud filled vision pressed on his eyes until the pressure made them bleed. The pink quickly turned to red, as a tingling agony gnawed at his toes, finger tips, and, strangely, the inside of his head. Realizing that this must be his mind being torn away, his blood shot eyes widened, had he forgotten the spell! "Mirror!" He yelled out, but that didn't sound right. No... what was it!

If he didn't remember this spell, he'd fall through, and his chance to get Sirius back would be lost. The gnawing continued until it was up to the middle of his foot, hand, and head. Somewhere deep in his chest, something snapped, sparking out with pain. A strangled scream ripped through his throat as he doubled over in pain, forgetting that he was falling. Horror filled his every being as he forgot completely why he was here. The pain was just too intense for him.

Then, a hunched over, shivering image entered what little mind he possessed. Remus's blood filled soul gripped this image until his life depended on it. Then, the huddled, whimpering figure uttered a word he couldn't understand, but he could wrap his mind around it, his throat around it. To get this figure to safety, this word was very important. It didn't matter anymore, the pain. That word was the one that mattered most of all.

"Moror!" He screamed, the muscles in his arms clenching to make his hand into a fist, if his hand still remained. All that was at the end of his arm was a bloodied stump growing ever shorter. (A/n: Too gruesome? ;-; )

"Moror! Moror! MOROR!" He screamed until his throat went raw and the word was ripped out, over and over again into eternity.

And then, the man closed his eyes, but the pain went on, until even his soul burned away.

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Remus Lupin opened his eyes, staring at the blank, grey room. It took a few seconds before he remembered what had happened. His body was stiff and bruised, and it took several tries for him to gain his feet. Finally, he threw dignity out of the door and sat up on his knees, hand braced on the wall next to him. The room was small, if he stood up in the middle, he'd surely be able to touch either side. Yet when he looked around, he couldn't see Sirius.

A deep breath got him up on his feet, and as he took a step towards the opposite wall, it seemed to move away. Several steps more proved that it wasn't just his imagination or his pain ravenged mind, but indeed the wall was moving away.

He fell to his knees again, pounding the ground with his fists. How would he ever reach Sirius if he couldn't find him? Couldn't even reach the far wall? He wracked his memory, and the words came back to him. Midge's words. '...in the grey room. There, Sirius will be waiting for you, you merely have to call out his name.' "Sirius..." The man whispered, tears filling his eyes. "Sirius!" He called out, louder this time, not daring to look up just in case it didn't work.

The werewolf closed his eyes, a single tear falling to the grey floor beneath him, smooth, cold, and uncaring. Labored breathing sounded in his ears... Wait, in his ears? He held his breath, waiting, listened. He could still hear the breathing... Taking a deep breath of confidence, he leaned back again, so that he was sitting on his heels. Staring into his face was the tired, but strangely elated eyes of Sirius Black.

"S-Sirius?" Remus asked, afraid that, once again, his friend would be taken away.

The other nodded, and even managed a weak grin. "Moony..." He whispered, bringing up a hand and brushing it along Remus's stubble covered face. The werewolf choked back a sob and grabbed the other's hand, trying to ignore the quick beat of his heart, not just caused by fear of what he was about to do.

'Ready or not, here we go,' Lupin thought, dredging up the word he needed to speak to let them leave. "Dimitto!" He spoke, his hand clenching so tight to Sirius's that his knuckles turned white.

And, for the second time in ten minutes, he experienced his mind, body, and soul being ripped to shreds. (A/n: I'll spare you the details of the second time XD)

----

Seeing with a limited use of colors was nothing new to Sirius Black, but after weeks of nothing but greys, the sight of the old hag in the dark room that greeted him was the most beautiful picture he'd ever seen. Well, besides Moony's face, of course. Moony's face had always captivated him, 'specially the eyes. But he was digressing. No, he couldn't see his friend from where he lay, very close to the floor. So close in fact, that it was improbable... Impossible, even. His head was surely higher than this... He tried to get up, but his muscles were weak and watery. All he could manage was a weak whine, rather more infantile than he would have thought.

And since when was the world so big? Something wasn't right here...

Midge stood up out of the rocking chair by the veil, that hated veil, and hobbled over to the two, cackling the whole way. "Good job, Moony. Now, Dumbledore should be in town right about now, most likey over at Rosemerta's... Come along boys." She said, hobbling away from them. An angry yap sounded next to Sirius, and he was able to pick his head up and look to what made that noise. A suprised squeak issued from former prisoner. He was sure that Remus had been right beside him... But... this wasn't Remus. Or was it?

A young brown puppy tried and failed to gain his feet, his features angled and pointed to that of a wolf's. Slowly, his exhaustion raveneged wheels in his mind began to turn. He only saw with a vastly limited color when he was Padfoot... Then, that must mean... Sunrise filled his veins, strength, or maybe just adrenalin, making him jump up and look down. Yep, paws. Turning around, a short black tail greeted his vision. He was, just as Remus next to him was, rather canine, indeed.

Just as he was making these discoveries, Midge turned around, scowling down at them, then raised her eyebrows in realization. Cackling, she hobbled back over to them. "Still a bit weak on your pins, are you?" Cackling, she pointed her cane at the two puppies, and mumbled something that sounded a bit like 'wingaurdium leviosa'. Then, yapping in surprise, he and Remus began to levitate. Growling at the woman, Sirius the puppy spun his legs, trying to propel himself towards the old hag, and most likely give her a nice bite on her prominent nose.

"Oh, stop growling at me. You'll be able to talk in a few days time. Locomotor puppies!" And, floating four feet in the air, the puppies began to trail after the retreating hag. Sirius turned to look at Remus, who managed a weak canine grin and a low wag of his tail.

Wondering why he was a puppy, but knowing that he was out of that hated room, everything was looking up.

Midge lumbered out of her house, creatures of both the rodent type and the human type scattering from her front porch. She didn't stop to give them a passing glance, but walked right on out to the mouth of the alley way, where the sun had already set. The human vermin that littered the darkened, enclosed space glared at her, their eyes glinting with hunger as they watched the two puppies trailing along helplessly after the hag. But, before they could snatch the canines from the air, the hag had trundled off into the relatively brighter and much safer open area.

Hogsmead's more respectable denizens squeaked and fled at the sight of the hag, as she headed straight for the Three Broomsticks. Remus behind her whined with apprehension as the noises from the rowdy common room reached his ears even from this distance.

Midge was rounding the corner onto the main street as she saw Dumbledore leaving the Three Broomsticks, waving merrily to Rosemerta, who was delightedly waving in the doorway. The hag wondered wether he was going to Apperate to the castle gates, and sighed, picking up the pace. Her voice wasn't what it used to be, and she doubted he'd be able to hear her at this distance.

But, alas, the Hogwarts headmaster seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He turned around and peered over his half-moon glasses, then smiled, walking the short distance down the street towards Midge, who stopped gratefully, leaning heavily on her cane.

"Ahh, and to what do I owe this pleasure, Midge?" He asked, peering down at her. It didn't escape the hag's attention that he noticed the puppies floating behind her, wagging their tails excitedly at their former headmaster.

"I believe that you remember an incident at my house a few years ago, Albus? The one where the Ministry butted in and took a few of my possessions?" Midge asked, her voice slightly less creaky out in the open air.

"Clearly, clearly." Dumbledore said, nodding his head with his eyes serenely closed.

"And, of course, you remember that you stepped in and graciously saved several of these." She stopped, watching as he nodded, but said nothing. Giving him a curt nod in return, she continued. "Well, if you didn't already know, I've got the back door to that veil in the Department of Mysteries." Without waiting to see if he did in fact know, the hag turned to the two floating puppies behind her and flicked her wand.

Sirius and Remus soared end over end towards the headmaster, who stretched out his arms and grabbed them before they could fall. Midge gave another one of her curt nods and turned to leave, looking over her shoulder with a smirk. "I believe you know who they are. They might do well to go somewhere inconspicuous for about a week. I believe it'll take that long before the room decides to give them their bodies back or not." She said, and with that, she was gone, deciding instead to apperate back to her house.

Dumbledore surveyed the sleepy puppies with raised eyebrows, and chuckled. "I believe Harry will be happy to see you, Sirius, no matter what form you're in." The squirming black puppy gave a happy yap that echoed through the main street of Hogsmead long after Dumbledore had apperated to Privet Drive.

---

Harry could hear the Dursley's downstairs having dinner. He, of course, wouldn't even go down if they'd welcomed him with open arms. It had only been a couple weeks since Sirius's death, and Harry couldn't even bring himself to get out of bed anymore. The reaction's from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had been expected. They'd left him, gratefully, alone. Dudley pretended he didn't exist. All of that was expected.

What he hadn't expected, was to hear a knock at the front door. He could hear Uncle Vernon cursing downstairs, about door to door salesmen and how they always came around dinner time. Aunt Petunia most likely had her bony face pressed up against the window, trying to see who it was.

He could hear a heated discussion downstairs, but the voices were too muffled for him to make out what they said. He picked his head up, interested for the first time in what felt like forever. Maybe it was good news. Maybe Aunt Marge was dead...

"HARRY! COME DOWN HERE, NOW!" Again, something unexpected. Uncle Vernon's unmistakable voice made Hedwig's empty cage shake and a few feathers fell to the floor.

With a sigh, Harry stood up, shaking off the lethargy, and slumped down the steps. He kept his eyes on his feet until he reached the bottom step, and looked up, eyes dull. And the third unexpected happening of the night made Harry gasp, leaping back in surprise. There, in his doorway, stood Dumbledore. He seemed to be enjoying himself greatly at the chaos he'd caused.

He only noticed what his headmaster was holding in his arms when one of the furry black bundles struggled out of his not-so-very-tight grip and fell sprawling to the floor. Then waddled happily over to Harry, placing his paws on his leg and yapping up at him, demanding that he be picked up. The boy obliged, looking up as he did so at Aunt Petunia, who was looking back and forth in horror. She seemed torn between not wanting a filthy animal in her house, and fear that if she so much as moved Dumbledore would curse her into oblivion.

As the headmaster turned to speak to the Dursley's, Harry took the opportunity to study the squirming puppy in his arms. Only, when he did so, he dropped the poor thing in surprise, yelling out a loud, "WHAT!". The black puppy fell on his head with a very undignified thud, and rolled onto his side, clearly dizzy.

Dumbledore looked up, eyebrows raised, grinning. "I see you've discovered who that puppy is, have you, Harry?"

Hoping against hope, the boy cleared his throat. "S-Sirius?" He felt his face heat up at the cracked whisper, but stood his ground. He was too surprised to feel very ashamed at his emotional state in front of the Dursley's.

"That's right. This letter here will explain everything that needs to be said." He said, handing Harry a roll of parchment. Then, very briskly, he looked at the others. Dudley, who had amazingly broken away from his dinner to come and investigate, was just peeking around the corner, observing with evident confusion.

"So, its settled then? By letting Harry's godfather and friend stay here for about a week, we will gladly take Harry off your hands a month earlier than expected." He stood there, smiling, but also with an air about him that said he wasn't to be disobeyed.

Uncle Vernon seemed torn between giving Harry what he wanted and getting rid of him sooner. In the end, Dumbledore's determination made the decision for him. He glared at Harry, not daring to glare at the headmaster, and shook his finger at the boy.

"If I catch so much as a whiff of one of your ruddy animals, you're out of here for good!" He threatened, the vein in his head throbbing.

"Well, there you go!" The headmaster said, dropping a squirming Remus into Harry's arms. He was off and walking back down the street again before either Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia could protest.

Harry glanced at his aunt and uncle, eyebrows raised. Uncle Vernon's purple face was rapidly paling as he looked over at Harry with wide eyes. "D... did he say 'god father'? The Godfather who's the convicted murderer?" He asked, starting to tremble slightly.

Harry looked down at the familiar looking puppy, then back up at his uncle with a smirk. "Oh yes. It takes a powerful magic to change one's shape. He's even more powerful, now, you see. And highly unstable." Explained the boy, a very earnest and innocent smile on his face. The black puppy in his arms growled at them for good measure, sending Dudley running back to the kitchen.

Taking the opportunity Dudley's escape provided, Harry hurried back up the stares and into his bedroom, closing the door firmly behind him before placing the puppies down on his bed. Plopping down beside them, Harry unrolled the piece of parchment and began to read, his eyebrows raising with every single word. He read about how Lupin saved Sirius from the room behind the veil, and in doing so, cost both of them their bodies. He read about the hag who made sure they were well inside their little puppy bodies before taking them to see Dumbledore. He also read that the two would get their voices back within a day or so.

"Wow..." Was all he could think of to say.

He looked down at the two puppies sprawled on his bed, fast asleep. With a sigh, he lay back as well, closing his eyes. He'd deal with this mess, tomorrow...

And he was asleep before he could remember to take his glasses off...

---

There you go :D The end. Of the entire fic.

XD No, not really. I'm soooo sorry this took so long ;-;

Tattva: Heehee, took your suggestion and got a beta ;

Srj: Continuing as fast as I can :D

Polaris: Thank you ;;

RemusSiriusBlack:O! dance I didn't think you'd read my fic! I love your's! Updating :D

Sexyteluguchica: XD They'll be able to talk. And they ARE going to get their bodies back... eventually.

Next update will come again, as soon as I can get it XD


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